Cubs coulda won, but alas

Friday

Jun 22, 2007 at 12:01 AMJun 22, 2007 at 10:01 PM

Cubs lose 6-5 to Rangers in another woulda, coulda, shoulda game.

Jeff Vorva

Once again, the fickle finger of fate became an obscene gesture for the Cubs.
Three woulda, coulda, shoulda plays helped Texas score a ninth-inning run for a 6-5 victory over the Cubs on Thursday in front of a Rangers Ballpark crowd of 38,406.
The Cubs fell to 32-39 overall and an upsetting 7-15 in one-run ballgames heading into this weekend’s series against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. The Cubs are 8½ games behind National League Central-leading Milwaukee.
“We had a chance to score anywhere from five to 15 runs in this game — and we chose the low number,” said Cubs manager Lou Piniella, whose team left 13 runners on base. “We didn’t choose it, but that’s what we ended up with.
“I think we all ought to go to church and put more (money) in the box.”
The Cubs battled back from a 5-0 deficit to knot the game but couldn’t get the close plays to go their way in the bottom of the ninth.
Rangers pinch-hitter Kenny Lofton started the inning by singling on a ball that left fielder Alfonso Soriano lunged at but couldn’t come up with after the ball hit his glove. Adam Melhuse bunted Lofton to second.
The next batter, Brad Wilkerson, hit a comebacker to Bob Howry, who had Lofton caught dead between second and third. Howry ran toward Lofton, but Lofton was able to sneak back into second when he avoided shortstop Cesar Izturis’ tag after Howry’s throw.
Howry (3-4) took the blame.
“I held the ball too long,” he said.
Pinch-hitter Frank Catalanotto followed with a drive to the right-field corner. Outfielder Angel Pagan dove and got a glove on the ball, but couldn’t come up with it, allowing Lofton to score the winning run. The Rangers, who own an AL-worst 28-44 record, celebrated after taking two of three from the Cubs.
“I did my best,” Pagan said. “I had a good chance but I couldn’t make the play. Stuff happens, you know? You’re not going to make all of them.”
The Cubs dug themselves into a 5-0 hole after three innings, leaving seven runners on base over the first three innings. They wasted a no-out, bases-loaded situation in the second.
In the fifth, the Cubs opened things up with six straight hits off Vicente Padilla in a four-run inning. Derrek Lee (3-for-4) singled home Soriano in the sixth to knot the game at 5.
Cubs starting pitcher Ted Lilly allowed five runs over the first three innings, including back-to-back homers by Victor Diaz and Melhuse in the second. Lilly settled down after the third, facing the minimum 12 batters over the next four innings. He finished with 10 strikeouts in seven innings.
Thursday’s game marked the Cubs debut of catcher Rob Bowen, who was acquired Wednesday in the trade that sent Michael Barrett to San Diego. Bowen went 1-for-3 with two walks and an RBI.
Event though the switch-hitter has seen limited action in four major league seasons, the Cubs are giving Bowen, 26, a chance to win the starting job.
“I’ve always been a role guy or backup catcher,” Bowen said, “but I think this will be a good advancement of my career. I would like to be a starter.”
Last week, Bowen was in the middle of the bench-clearing fracas between the Cubs and Padres at Wrigley Field. Now he’s a member of the Cubs.
“That whole thing got blown out of proportion,” Bowen said. “It was hot. There was a lot of attitude. But it’s in the past.”
More Cubs coverage is online at www.dailysouthtown.com/sports.